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| Ju Jingyi’s ‘Wanhua World’ Rumoured to Pass 80 Episodes as Tencent Revives Mega-Length Costume Dramas. (Credits: Tencent Video) |
The era of Chinese dramas ending neatly at 24 or 36 episodes may already be over. Quietly, and with the confidence of someone reopening a buffet after everyone spent two years pretending salads were enough, Tencent Video appears to be bringing back ultra-long costume dramas again. Series with 48, 50 and even 52 episodes are suddenly reappearing on production charts, while some titles are reportedly extending beyond their original filing counts altogether.
The biggest talking point right now is undoubtedly Ju Jingyi’s upcoming fantasy costume drama Wanhua World (万花世界), which industry chatter claims could exceed a staggering 80 episodes. That is basically a long-term emotional commitment at this point.
Before filming has even officially begun, Wanhua World has reportedly surpassed 1.11 million reservations, immediately signalling massive audience curiosity.
The drama follows a powerful woman travelling through multiple worlds, completing missions while facing villains, manipulative figures and chaotic power struggles across dimensions. In simpler terms, it sounds exactly like the type of ambitious fantasy epic Tencent believes viewers are willing to stay with for months.
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| Ju Jingyi’s ‘Wanhua World’ Could Pass 80 Episodes as Tencent Revives Mega C-Dramas |
For years, Chinese streaming platforms were aggressively reducing episode counts after regulators pushed for tighter formats and cleaner storytelling. Short dramas exploded in popularity, AI-generated content became unavoidable, and many viewers developed the attention span of someone skipping intros after three seconds. But despite the rapid growth of mini-dramas and fast-consumption content, China’s three major long-video platforms — Tencent Video, iQIYI and Youku — never fully abandoned prestige long-form productions.
Instead, they appear to have spent the last few years rebuilding them more carefully.
Tencent’s strategy became clearer this year through dramas like The Lead (主角), a critically praised period drama adapted from award-winning literature. Rather than relying purely on trending actors or viral clips, the platform leaned heavily into prestige storytelling, literary credibility and large-scale production value. The gamble paid off commercially. The series dominated ratings charts, triggered huge online discussion and became one of the platform’s biggest prestige hits of 2026.
Part of that success came from its unusual marketing approach. Before the drama even aired, a theme song blending Qin opera influences with modern composition unexpectedly exploded online.
Within hours, social media was flooded with clips, edits and emotional reactions from viewers who had not even watched the series yet. Suddenly, a historical literary adaptation became culturally “cool”, which frankly is not something the internet usually allows without irony.
Directed under the supervision of legendary filmmaker Zhang Yimou, The Lead focused less on flashy idol-drama aesthetics and more on grounded storytelling.
The drama recreated the atmosphere of 1970s and 1980s Shaanxi with obsessive detail, from ageing bicycles to cramped alleyways and awkward daily struggles. Viewers praised the production for making ordinary life feel emotionally cinematic instead of artificially glamorous.
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Tencent’s current confidence with long dramas also reflects a broader industry belief that audiences are not actually rejecting lengthy storytelling itself. What viewers dislike is padding. There is a difference.
Nobody wants thirty extra episodes of characters staring at each other while flute music plays in the background because the script ran out of ideas halfway through. Industry discussions this quarter repeatedly pointed toward one conclusion: viewers still support long dramas when the writing feels intentional.
Over at Youku, the suspense drama Light to the Night (黑夜告白) became one of the strongest examples of this. Starring Pan Yueming and Wang Hedi, the series gained attention for unexpectedly removing a major character midway through the story, completely overturning the old “main characters are untouchable” formula that Chinese audiences have grown used to.
The drama’s layered timeline structure, spanning 1997, 2002 and 2015, earned praise for treating viewers like intelligent participants rather than passive screen-watchers. Instead of relying on exaggerated “genius detective” tropes, the series built tension through detailed investigations, emotional persistence and slow-burning human tragedy. Which, in modern streaming terms, almost counts as rebellion.
Fans online repeatedly praised the drama for respecting audience intelligence. Others admitted they had to rewatch earlier episodes because hidden clues suddenly made sense later. Of course, there were also viewers joking that the show required “detective qualifications and emotional stamina” just to survive the plot twists.
Meanwhile, iQIYI found major success with Born with Luck (低智商犯罪), adapted from author Zi Jinchen’s novel of the same name. Instead of dark prestige misery, the series embraced absurd humour, chaotic criminals and deeply unserious energy while still functioning as a suspense drama.
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The show quickly climbed popularity rankings after release, eventually surpassing major heat indexes on the platform. Viewers especially praised its unconventional casting choices and unpredictable storytelling style. Rather than treating crime narratives with endless gloomy seriousness, the drama mixed awkward comedy with social satire in ways that felt unexpectedly fresh.
Audience reactions to Born with Luck became particularly entertaining online. Some viewers called it “the first suspense drama that heals workplace exhaustion instead of causing it”. Others joked the criminals were so incompetent that the police almost looked stressed out from second-hand embarrassment.
The return of long dramas is also reviving discussion around adaptation quality. Platforms increasingly believe premium literary IPs offer something short-form viral content often cannot: emotional longevity. Tencent especially has doubled down on adapting respected novels while preserving their original themes instead of flattening everything into algorithm-friendly romance clips.
That strategy already worked previously with projects adapted from acclaimed authors, including productions like Blossoms Shanghai, Lady Liberty & The Tale of Rose. The industry clearly believes audiences still crave stories with deeper emotional worlds, even in an era where viewers also consume two-minute vertical dramas while waiting for coffee.
Not everyone is fully convinced, though.
Cnetz reactions to Tencent’s expanding episode counts have been wildly divided. Some viewers are thrilled, arguing that fantasy epics and historical dramas need space to breathe properly. Others immediately panicked at the thought of committing to another 80-episode emotional rollercoaster where characters spend half the runtime suffering beautifully under snowfall.
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There are also concerns that some productions may once again fall into old habits of excessive filler, repeated misunderstandings and side plots that feel like they escaped from completely different dramas. One sarcastic comment circulating on Weibo joked that viewers now need “annual leave and psychological preparation” before starting a Tencent costume series again.
Many fans believe the success of recent prestige dramas proves audiences are willing to stay invested if the writing, acting and production quality remain strong enough. In a fragmented content era dominated by speed and endless scrolling, long-form storytelling may actually feel refreshing again — provided the story deserves the runtime.
And perhaps that is the real message Tencent, iQIYI and Youku are trying to send right now. Short content may dominate algorithms, but emotionally immersive storytelling still builds loyal audiences in ways viral clips cannot. Whether viewers are actually ready for another 80-episode fantasy universe starring Ju Jingyi, however, is a completely different question.